Joe’s Fideo Recipe

A Texas Treat

“Fideo” actually refers to a dish made with short, vermicelli-style pasta (shown above in the lower left corner). Fideo is first browned in a skillet then various ingredients are added to typically make a pasta or soup dish. The folks at Q&Q sure know how to help us make tasty dishes – fideo has been a tasty Texas treat for more than 100 years!

While fideo can be prepared in a multitude of ways – this is my very own recipe that pairs greatly with enchiladas and a side salad. Enjoy!

Foodie Tips:

❤ What are “hatch cubes?” These are my own homemade treats that will save your time in the kitchen (shown below). I buy a frozen bag of Hatch Chilies from Trader Joe’s. I defrost it and pour the hatches into ice cube trays then freeze. I “pop” and transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag and I can easily add the number of cubes into my recipe based on my appetite for heat. :) Pastas, soups, and eggs have never been the same since!

❤ This recipe can be easily doubled. Twice is nice!

❤ Fideo can be made in a million ways. Google or YouTube it and you’ll see.

Shown Above: One Of My Homemade “Hatch Cubes”

Time To Prepare:

About 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

½ Tablespoon  |  Butter
5 ounce Box  |  Q&Q Fideo Vermicelli
1 Cup  |  White Onion, Chopped
2 Tablespoons  |  Tomato Paste
1  | Hatch Cube or a Small Can of Hatch Green Chilies (optional)
2 Cups  |  Chicken Broth
3  |  Garlic Cloves
1  |  Bay Leaf

What To Do:

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter.

2. Add the fideo and sauté until the vermicelli is just golden brown (think Rice-a-Roni, but Texas style). I like my Q&Q toasted, but be careful not to burn it.

3. Add the onion and continue sautéing. Add the tomato paste, hatch (if using), broth, garlic and the bay leaf.

4. Simmer until the vermicelli is al dente (about 5 minutes).

5. Remove from heat, let thicken a bit, discard the bay leaf, and enjoy!

Yield: About 2-4 servings, maybe less, if you enjoy food like I do! 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

Fideo Fan?
I found these awesome Q&Q Fideo stickers from our friends at BarbacoApparel in San Antonio. These vinyl stickers are a great way to show your love for Texas’ favorite vermicelli!

Recipe: Hatchbrowns

Hatch Attack

If you’re like me, by the time August rolls around I’m already in the comfort food state of mind. This is a special time of year when the smoky and spicy taste of hatch chili peppers delight!

While some invite hatch peppers to lunch or dinner only, I love welcoming hatch peppers at the start of my day; this inspiration is how this “hatchbrown” recipe was born. Enjoy it and the rest of your fall “flavorites!”

Foodie Tips:

❤  Nothing beats the taste of freshly smoked hatches. If you’re not sure how to roast your own here’s an article with some tips that will have you a culinary hatch wizard in a snap. Take advantage of hatch roasting events at HEB or Central Market and enjoy the smell on the car ride home – prior to the devouring!

❤  If you’re in a flurry outside of fresh hatch season you can keep some Trader Joe’s fire roasted and chopped hatch peppers on hand. They pack just as much punch as the fresh boys and I encourage you to keep a pouch in your freezer year-round for those heated moments when you gotta have yours.

❤  Eggs? Poached eggs are on my mind. Here’s a recipe for how to make perfectly poached eggs! Follow the video – and not so much the recipe text beneath it (which differs).

❤  You’re likely to find another popular hatch-inspired recipe or two here on the Home Style Austin Blog. (hint hint).

Ingredients:

3 – 5 Strips  |  Bacon
3  |  Gold Potatoes, Washed, Dried, and 1/4″ Cube-Diced
1 Tablespoon  |  Falfurrias Brand Butter
¼ Cup  |  Roasted Hatch Chili Peppers, Chopped or Diced
To Garnish  |  Green Onions (optional)
To Taste  |  Fresh Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt (optional)
To Serve  |  Your Favorite Eggs (optional)

What To Do:

1. Over medium heat fry the bacon and remove from pan. Keep the bacon drippings in the pan. You know this is going to be good. :)

2. Add the diced potatoes to the bacon renderings and add the butter. Return to heat, stir and cook until golden crispy, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Add the hatch peppers and stir into the potatoes until warm.

4. Garnish with onions, salt and pepper and serve with a side of eggs.

Yield: About 2 – 4 servings.

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes – there’s more than 50 recipes here on the Home Style Austin blog!

Hatch-Chicken Mac n’ Cheese Recipe

A Smokey Love Affair

This time of year when the Hatch Chili Peppers make their bountiful cameo appearance, we get weak in the knees for all things hatch. Just perusing almost 100 recipes at Central Market’s website made us break an indoor sweat for this sensationally, seasonal pepper.

With hatches in hand we decided to incorporate these delightfully, smokey-tasting peppers into our interpretation of gourmet Mac n’ Cheese. This dish will take more time than it does to whip-up Mac from a box, but we think the results undoubtedly justify the labor of love.

Foodie Tips:

• We prepare our hatch chili peppers and our chicken ahead of time so assembly time will be efficient; we have Mac n’ Cheese to eat! The roasted rotisserie chicken? We scored ours ready-to-go from our local HEB mere steps from an impressive Hatch Chili Pepper display.
• Not sure how to roast your Hatch Chili Peppers? Here’s a helpful post I found that may help. We roasted our peppers on the outdoor grill. Our local HEB Plus! was even hosting hatch chili roasting events to make things even easier.
• As an alternative to olive oil we have been having fun with avocado oil; it has a high smoke point and can offer various health benefits. We found our oil locally at Salt & Time on East 7th Street.
• You can substitute the cheeses below with your favorites, like with Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella.
• If it’s not hatch season you can use a couple cans of green chiles, although the flavor won’t be as smokey. If you’re out of shallots, try substituting red or white onions. No penne? Try elbow macaroni or your favorite sauce-hugging pasta (sorry, spaghetti, linguini and angel hair – we have other plans in store for you).

Ingredients: 

2  |  Shallots, Peeled, Roasted and Chopped
3 Cloves  |  Garlic, Peeled, Roasted and Chopped
2 Teaspoons  |  Avocado Oil (or olive oil)
2 Tablespoons  |  Flour
4 Cups  |  Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Teaspoon  |  Fresh Thyme, Chopped
2 Cups  |  Jalapeño Pepper Jack Cheese, Shredded
2 Cups  |  Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
To Taste  |  Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Pound  |  Penne Pasta, Cooked and Drained
4-5  |  Hatch Chili Peppers, Roasted, Skinned, Seeded and Chopped
2-3 Cups  |  Roasted Rotisserie Chicken, Deboned and Shredded
1/2 – 1 Cup  | Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons  |  Falfurrias Brand Butter, Melted
2 Tablespoons  |  Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped

Directions: 

1. Place the peeled shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Roast on the grill (or indoor oven at 425°F) about 25 minutes, until tender. This is a good time to boil the water, prepare the pasta and set it aside after drining. Remove the shallot-garlic medley from oven/grill and give it some time to cool a bit. Remove the veggies from the foil then chop them up.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add another teaspoon of oil, the chopped vegetables then sauté for about a minute. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute (do not allow to burn). Whisk in the heavy cream and the thyme then stir in the Hatch Chili Peppers. Allow the mixture to reduce by a third.

3. Add your cheeses and stir until melted, creamy and thick. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Hungry yet? :)

4. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and gently stir in the pasta and chicken. [Note: If your sauté pan is too small you can transfer the sauce into the pasta pot.] Transfer the Mac n’ Cheese into a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

5. In a small bowl mix together the panko, butter and parsley; spread this mixture over the Mac n’ Cheese. Bake uncovered for about 25-35 minutes, until everything is browned and bubbly. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes then serve.

Yields: 8-12 servings, depending on your appetite! Enjoy!

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!